A TRAVELOGUE: BEHIND
HON-GYOKURO

The journey to the land of Jade Dew begins at a tea plantation in Japan where its altitude, climate and terroir create the perfect environment for the artisans who craft Hon Gyokuro. At this veritable estate, the master of Gyokuro is a singular tea producer and exceptional craftsman of Hon Gyokuro. Working alone to achieve some of the most sought-after teas in Japan, he is the last in a great line of tea planters. He cultivates rice solely for the purpose of making Komo: every winter, he weaves by hand Komo from pieces of rice straw to shade his Gyokuro tea plantation.

Hon Gyokuro is harvested by hand just once a year in the Spring, immediately processed within the same day and stored in a wooden box, known as Cha-Bako, where it is left to rest and mature until Autumn. A harvest that results in seaweed green leaves of incredible intensity in chlorophyll that yield a delicate green hue, complemented by uplifting honeysuckle and a velvety finish with a hint of ooi-ka – thick and heady notes that evoke the imagination.

To signal the celebrated arrival of the Hon Gyokuro harvests, TWG Tea introduces the next series of its Tea Origins Stories: Hon Gyokuro, Jade Dew – to capture the rare artistry behind crafting the exceptional green tea.